Motivation on the Run

Anthony D’Angelo said, "Become a student of change. It is the only thing that will remain constant." Charles Dickens stated, "Change begets change"; and Alvin Toffler said, "Change is not merely necessary to life—it is life."

Most people like to think they embrace change, love change, and are agents of change, yet their actions defy that logic.

In May 2005, Alan Deutschman authored an article for the magazine, Fast Company, that changed the way people looked at the world and their surroundings. Change or Die gave only a hint in the title, to the shattering revelations Alan would divulge in the piece. The popularity of the article brought acclaim to Alan, and in time a book with same title.

Change or Die is a classic storytelling book, that begins with a premise and uses stories to illustrate each point. Alan Deutschman is a good storyteller, weaving his points in and out of the narrative, yet not getting "too much" in the way.

The book’s composition comes in threes and multiples of threes. He sets up the three "Fs": facts, fear and force to begin the story, showing their futility as change agents. Then he introduces the three "Rs": relate, repeat, and reframe as the basic framework for change, adding the Nine "Psych Concepts" of Change as the secret sauce to effect change. These nine concepts are: Frames, Denial, Short-term Wins, Power of Community and Culture, Acting As If, Recasting a Life’s Story, Walk the Walk, The Brain is Plastic, and The Solution Might Be the Problem.

The story of change is told using the three major industries: Health Care, the Criminal Justice System, and Manufacturing. Alan begins to build the story with accounts of change resistance, and the devastating effects that are the result. He takes us through the current status of each industry by example, then offsets it with a story of victory, by using and expecting change in habits and behaviors.

Beginning with the Health Care industry, Alan shows how modern medicine has mastered the use of the three "Fs", with evidence showing the failure of these tactics. Eighty percent of health care dollars are spent on lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and eating. The affects of these choices are well documented yet, they are the main cause of sickness and death. Smokers, alcoholics, and obese people, know the dangers, yet "scaring them straight" doesn’t provide enough incentive for them to change. Change can only be induced in ways involving the three "Rs".

The power of motivation comes from the positive results achieved from the unheralded underdogs of society in the criminal justice system. Released and rehabilitated, a large percentage of offenders quickly return to a system they understand, jail, yet a few overcome and are productive, positive examples for all of us. This shows change is possible, even for the most hardened among us.

I found the most compelling story to be about General Motors and Toyota, showing that respect and dignity are major agents for change, rather than "humiliation" and "submission." This story brought to mind the saying, "the beatings will continue until moral improves" under the management of GM. Then Toyota took over the inactive plant with a completely different management style and showed how big a motivator respect can be. That factory quickly developed into the plant to emulate. They produced cars with the least number of defects in the entire auto industry. Some very real evidence of how to motivate with respect.

Alan finishes up with other stories showing the broader scope of change and how it affects other types of industry. There are also stories of personal quests to conquer problems and the champions that prevailed.

I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it anyone fighting to change anything from their life, job, or industry. Well written with plenty of documentation for those that want to follow the research trail on their own.

[tags]Change or Die, Alan Deutschman, Fast Company[/tags]